The Senior Special Assistant on Publicity and Communications to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lere Olayinka, has said that the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (retd.), was deceived into buying a plot of land in Abuja that was never designated for private development.
Olayinka made the disclosure on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where he defended the conduct of his principal, Nyesom Wike, during Tuesday’s confrontation with a naval officer at the disputed site in Mabushi, Abuja.
According to Olayinka, the property in question was originally allocated in 2007 to Santos Estate Limited for park and recreation purposes — not for residential or commercial construction.
“That particular land was allocated to a company in 2007 for park and recreation. The company did not develop it because that place is a parkway, a walkway, a road corridor. You don’t build there,” Olayinka stated.
He explained that in 2022, the company sought approval from the FCT Administration to convert the land use from recreational to commercial, but the request was declined.
“The minister of FCT at that time rejected the application — Wike was not the minister then,” he clarified.
Despite the rejection, Olayinka said the company went ahead to illegally subdivide and sell the land to unsuspecting buyers, including the retired naval chief.
“Probably anticipating approval, the company partitioned the land and sold it to people, including the former Chief of Naval Staff,” he said.
He alleged that instead of pursuing the matter through legal channels, Gambo attempted to use his military background to assert ownership of the land.
“The former naval chief was scammed, and rather than hold the company accountable, he tried to use military influence to forcefully claim the land,” Olayinka said.
The minister’s aide stressed that the land is located in an area designated for public and corporate buildings, not residential properties.
“That portion of Mabushi is meant for public institutions — you can’t build private houses there,” he added, noting that Gambo does not possess any valid title document proving ownership.
Olayinka further argued that even if the retired officer had legitimate papers, he failed to comply with development control procedures, including obtaining a building plan approval before beginning construction.
“Before anyone begins development, there are steps to follow — you must get a building plan and have it approved by development control. Nigerians should ask if the former naval chief did that,” he said.
The confrontation between Wike and the naval officer reportedly erupted when the minister ordered the demolition of illegal structures built on the disputed land, prompting heated exchanges between security operatives and FCT officials.
The FCT Administration has since reaffirmed its stance that all illegal developments, especially those encroaching on public corridors, will be removed in line with the city’s master plan.
